Mikell admits contract worries affected his play

August 03, 2010|By Nick Fierro, OF THE MORNING CALL

BETHLEHEM — — Watching over the years as his defensive teammates departed, almost always over money issues, Eagles safety Quintin Mikell came to the realization that the changes were an inevitable part of the business of football.

Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Carlos Emmons, Corey Simon, Derrick Burgess, Michael Lewis, Jevon Kearse, Jeremiah Trotter — Mikell saw all of them, among others, leave. Always, he remained in the background, a model teammate who said all the right things, wished them well and went about his business as a professional athlete should.

But at some point last year, around the time Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard were added to the above list, it hit him almost all at once that he could be next. Mikell's contract is due to expire after this season, when he will be 30 years old.

The result was a forgettable year in which Mikell took those concerns with him onto the gridiron.

"Last year I just think I got sidetracked thinking about stuff I couldn't control in terms of contracts and all that stuff," Mikell admitted after Monday morning's practice at training camp. "Obviously it is something that is in everybody's mind, but at the end of the day, when it becomes something that hinders your game, you've got to let it go."

That was something he had trouble doing last season as he suffered in relative silence.

After all the years and all the contract drama surrounding so many of his teammates, Mikell suddenly had some of his own, not that anyone knew. Mikell kept those concerns to himself, never admitting them publicly until Monday.

What Mikell did say in another interview this past offseason was that he was taken aback by some teammates not totally buying into defensive coordinator Sean McDermott's system last year, which contributed to the defense's collapse when the season was on the line.

That was the first time, Mikell said, he had ever witnessed such behavior on this team. However, he also believed the personnel moves the team made since the end of last season would eliminate that problem.

Mikell on Monday chose not to elaborate. Instead, he pointed the finger inward.

"I don't want to go down that road again, just because it got misinterpreted and it caused a bad problem," he said. "The point I was trying to get across is I want everybody to focus on winning games, and that's it. And that's one of the examples I can use for myself about getting focused on the wrong stuff.

"I was worried about my contract instead of worried about winning. And that's exactly what was part of the problem last year."

No matter how you do the math, it doesn't bode well for Mikell being in Eagles green next year or, in case of a lockout, any one after that.

A team source confirmed on Monday that it is "highly unlikely" a new contract could be worked out for Mikell, who made the team as an undrafted free agent in 2003, at least until a new collective bargaining agreement can be struck between the owners and the NFL Players Association. The current CBA expires at the end of this season and places extreme limits in its final season on parameters for contract extensions.

All indications are that the NFL is heading for a work stoppage next season, which would mean a new CBA would come long after Mikell becomes a free agent.

Ironically, Mikell is the type of player and the type of personality the Eagles normally target for an extension two years or sometimes more before the current one expires.

They have not been aggressive this second time around, however, after Mikell re-signed for four years following the 2006 season.

No matter. Mikell has come to terms with his fate, thanks to a long conversation with Dawkins, his mentor from the start.

"We talked on the phone for a good two hours almost," Mikell said, "and I just kind of opened up and let him know what I was going through this season. And he just kind of helped me through some of that stuff, gave me some ideas on how to handle certain things and just gave me some guidance.

"I've got one more year left, but I'm going to make it a great year and whatever happens after that happens. So I'm excited for this year and I'm trying to get a championship."